Overview

In Unflinching Courage, former United States Senator and New York Times bestselling author Kay Bailey Hutchison brings to life the incredible stories of the resourceful and brave women who shaped the state of Texas and influenced American history.

A passionate storyteller, Senator Hutchison introduces the mothers and daughters who claimed a stake in the land when it was controlled by Spain, the wives and sisters who valiantly contributed to the Civil War effort, and ranchers and entrepreneurs who have helped Texas thrive.

Unflinching Courage: Pioneering Women Who Shaped Texas is a celebration of the strength, bravery, and spirit of these remarkable women and their accomplishments.

Product Details

About the Author

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison grew up in La Marque, Texas, and graduated from the University of Texas and UT Law School. She was twice elected to the Texas House of Representatives. In 1990 she was elected Texas state treasurer, and in 1993 she was the first woman elected to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate. In 2006 she was elected chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, becoming one of the top four leaders of Senate Republicans and the only woman. She lives in Dallas with her husband, Ray, and their daughter and son, Bailey and Houston.

Editorial Reviews

“A series of brightly written biographies of an extraordinary gallery of pioneering women, many of whom are unknown even to the most history-minded of Texans. …The lesser-known shapers of Texas are presented in as full and interesting detail as the more celebrated.”

Dale L. Walker

Former U.S. Senator Hutchison (American Heroines) was the first woman to represent Texas in the Senate, and she’s admirably devoted her authorial career to writing women back into the historical record. Taking a local history approach that incorporates her family’s Texas roots, Hutchison emphasizes in her newest the independent spirit of Texans who rose up against Mexican rule and who carved out a living from the rugged landscape. She writes a doggedly chronological story, stretching from Anna Mary Taylor (the author’s great-great-grandmother), a young bride in Nacogdoches in 1831 most known for her gardening; to Oveta Culp Hobby, a politically influential journalist who headed the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps in the early 1940s. There is no discernible criteria for Hutchison’s choices of pioneering women, though the majority of them are from the early 19th century and include Susanna Dickinson, one of a handful of women who survived the Alamo; and Rachel Parker Plummer, who was captured and brutally beaten by Comanche Indians. Unfortunately, these individual stories lack depth, cohesion, and nuance. Most of the historical context is presented in chunks separate from the lives of the women, which only calls attention to how they are still viewed as outsiders in mainstream history. Texas women await their historical due. Agent: Robert B. Barnett, Williams & Connolly LLP. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Senator Hutchison (Leading Ladies: American Trailblazers, 2008, etc.) brings stories of her state's unsung heroines to light. The author writes of women who, in the early 19th century, followed their husbands to settle in Texas with its promise of cheap land and prosperity. Generally well educated and from genteel backgrounds, these pioneers had the courage and resilience to endure wars, primitive living conditions, diseases and grueling labor. It was all too common for women, such as Emily Austin Bryan Perry, sister of Stephen F. Austin ("the Father of Texas"), to survive the deaths of more than one husband and several children. Hutchison's roots go back to her great-great grandfather Charles S. Taylor, a key figure in the state's fight for independence from Mexico in 1836. During ensuing conflicts, her great-great grandmother was among the women who packed their families in wagons and headed east, fleeing the Mexican army in what was called the "Runaway Scrape." Like many others, her three daughters died along the way. Readers will also learn about Margaret Houston, who suffered from melancholy, disliked politics and tended her eight children, mostly alone, while Sam Houston was away managing affairs of the state; Rachel Parker Plummer, who was kidnapped by a Comanche tribe and rescued, forever scarred by the ordeal; and Sarah Cockrell, the "mother of Dallas." The book is laden with historical facts, and some readers may wish for more fluid storytelling, but Hutchison ably sets down a record of these remarkable women's lives. For readers who want to learn more, she provides a comprehensive bibliography. Though regional in nature, the hardships and contributions of these pioneers reflect those of women across the country. A valuable resource for the archives of Texas and women's history.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

When we think of the building of our country it is always the men who are thought of. This book tells of the strength and courage of the women who lived during that era and worked as hard as the men. Some of them had to take over a large ranch after the death of their husbands which was not easy for a woman. They had to provide for their families as widows.Having lived in Texas for the past two years many of the people and places have significance to me. Many of the cities, towns and villages are named for the people in the book. And the fight with Santa Ana for independence from Mexico is described very well, is exciting and I felt as though I was there. I enjoyed the book and recommend it highly. I will always treasure the history of Texas and my time living in the Lone Star State.

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